Becoming Vongola
by tetsia.howard
Summary: A series of drabbles about the Vongola family as it comes into its 10th generation. Sister stories to Not Your Whipping Boy, no real pairings except deep friendship (subject to change lol) 4-5YL Vongola
1. Mukuro

AN: This is going to eventually be a series of drabbles about the Vongola family in relation to my story _Not Your Whipping Boy_. They can be read as a stand-alone, though reading the original story might make things a bit clearer. :D Always remember, R&R are loves. ^.^

* * *

Mukuro Rokudo was no one's fool. He was quite capable of handling himself, thank you very much. Despite the typical stigma of illusionists being weak, he had trained his body, making it a powerful vessel, at least for this turn of the wheel. He could put up to the Skylark, he was quite happy to go on solo missions for the Decimo (though he insisted he was only biding his time until Tsuna's body was ripe for possession) and he still detested the mafia with a single-minded purpose.

But there are some things that he was discovering he could not do without. He found himself opening up… just a bit… to the Vongola. Not the mafia, never the mafia. But the Vongola seemed to draw him out. Somehow, in the course of a year, his world had gone from safe and reliable (albeit rather dark) to something completely turned on its head, and he wasn't completely sure he was upset with this.

The first thing Mukuro discovered he couldn't do without was touch. When he had come from Vendicare the last time, he had discovered a frustrating need to remind himself that he wasn't alone anymore. He was practically clingy, draping himself over the young Don every chance he got, entertaining Kyoya's nearly constant demands for fights, and creeping the other Guardians out by running his hands through their hair, along the shoulders and every once in a while, (when he was intentionally trying to be a pervert) along their thighs. The only one who didn't seem put off by this behavior was Ryohei, oddly, but everyone chalked it up to the time the energetic boxer had spent with Lussuria… you definitely needed to build up a tolerance of being touched with that one. His twentieth birthday made Mukuro realize exactly how tactile he'd become.

The morning dawned bright, hot, and cheerful, much to the disgruntlement of the male illusionist. He rolled back over, throwing the light blanket over his head with a soft growl. When sleep eluded him, he flopped onto his back with his arms behind his head, pondering deeply. Twenty years in this cycle and he really hadn't accomplished anything that he wanted to do. The world wasn't at his mercy, the mafia didn't belong to him… hell, he didn't even have a car yet. That particular thought startled a laugh out of him and he shook his head. He decided to give himself a small birthday present. Five minutes later found him in sleep pants and little else, sneaking inside Tsuna's room. The brunette lay on his side, softly snoring in a bed so monstrous it threatened to swallow him whole.

Mukuro smirked, suppressing the chuckle that wanted to escape so he wouldn't wake his 'prey'. He slipped into bed behind the sleeping Decimo and pulled the smaller man into his arms, burying his face in the chaotic brown locks. "Ku fu fu, Tsunayoshi-kun, will you let me possess your body?"

The soft whispering made the young mafia boss wrinkle his nose, muttering in his sleep for a moment before his eyes flew open as his Hyper Intuition told him he wasn't alone. The feel of the arms around him, and the legs that had curled possessively around his told him who had snuck into his bed at 6 in the morning. "Mukuro… what are you doing?" No jump of surprise, no small scream… as a matter of fact, Tsuna just snuggled into his male Mist's warmth, closing his eyes again with a grin of gentle exasperation. Nope, definitely not the first time he's woken up like this… and sadly, it's not always his Mist he wakes up to, either.

Mukuro's grin turned into a mou of distaste. "The sun woke me." He sounded rather put out, and Tsuna almost thought he had been woken by Ryohei before he realized what he meant and laughed softly.

"I'm sorry… you were the one who chose the room on the east side of the house." He pulled the covers up a bit, covering the two of them up. "Go back to sleep, hentai. I have another hour before Reborn tries to kill… er, wake me."

The easy way that Tsuna curled into his arms, the trust he showed by leaving his back open to his Mist… all of this startled Mukuro all over again. As he considered his mental whining earlier about his lack of accomplishments, he shook his head, closing his eyes. Maybe a car wasn't that important.

An hour later, the door opened silently and a tall, fedora-wearing hitman looked on the scene of the Decimo and his male illusionist snuggled up in sleep together. A couple of years ago, this would have made him see red, but Tsuna had explained to the ex-Arcobaleno before they moved to Italy that Mukuro was having a hard time adjusting to life outside the Vendicare tank and Reborn was not _allowed_ to stop him from touching Tsuna or the other Guardians.

He was broken from his reminiscing by a pair of dual-colored eyes staring at him from the bed. "Arcobaleno."

"Rokudo." Reborn smirked, motioning to the bed. "Comfortable?"

"Quite, actually." The illusionist snuggled against Tsuna again, getting rewarded with a soft huff of contentment from his Sky. His… Sky… ugh. He was well and truly tamed, wasn't he?

Reborn noted the emotions flitting across the sleepy Mist's face, giving the slightest nod. "Wake him up, he has a meeting in 30 minutes." And with that, the hitman was gone, closing the door as silently as he'd opened it.

"Ku fu fu fu, I could think of a number of ways to do that…" Mukuro's perverted musings were interrupted by Tsuna's wide yawn.

"30 minutes, huh?" The Decimo's face twisted into a brief pout before he pulled himself from Mukuro's cuddling. Tsuna dropped a soft kiss on his illusionist's forehead and stood. "Go on down to breakfast, I'll be there in a few minutes." He headed into the bathroom, yawning quietly.

As he watched him go, Mukuro sighed softly, pondering for a moment how he'd managed to get himself snared by the dirty mafia after all. He sat up in the bed; arms resting loosely on top of pulled up knees and came to a conclusion. He hadn't been snared by the mafia… he'd been snared by the Vongola Guardians who never turned him away, and by the gentle brunette who welcomed him with open arms.

The second thing he couldn't live without, even more frustratingly, was gentle affection.

It started out innocently enough. In the future-that-never-was, the girls in Tsuna's family had gotten in the habit of taking care of 'their' boys. It was a habit they quickly picked back up again when they had graduated and Tsuna had been forced to move to Italy at Timoteo's request. The Guardians of course followed, and surprisingly, so did Kyoko, Haru, Hana, and I-pin. The girls took over the household duties of the tenth generation's wing, refusing the grandfatherly figure's offer of maids and cooks. They knew what their boys needed and were more than happy to help them out. However, they weren't willing to do it for free, this time. The girls banded together and forced the Decimo-in-training to admit that one: they were needed, and two: they were liabilities to his family. After a heated argument, in which Hayato and Tsuna argued loudly against it, and Bianchi and surprisingly, Kyoya held out with a quiet resolve, it was determined that the girls needed to learn to defend themselves. Mukuro had surprised everyone, including himself, when he opened his mouth, actually OFFERING to teach the girls. Well, not quite EVERYONE, as his sweet Nagi had simply smiled, shooting him a look of deep gratitude.

For the last six months, the male Mist had been meeting with the girls for 3 hours every day, training them in everything from simple self-defense to weapon skills. They had made amazing progress, and even Tsuna was forced to agree that the girls being able to defend themselves properly would mean less worrying for his Guardians and himself.

Haru was a deadly shot with almost every projectile she picked up, and Mukuro had quickly called on the Rain Arcobaleno to train with her for one of her three hours each day. He couldn't quite help the swell of pride in his chest when Haru had decimated the training program Gianinni had put together for her, not even flinching as she pulled the trigger under the chin of one of the Vongola grunts who'd been chosen to attack her. It took him 3 hours just to get the paint off his chest, chin and throat, a week before the bruise faded, and almost 3 weeks before his voice lost the husky overtones of a damaged throat.

Kyoko preferred close range combat, relying on her rather devious feminine wiles to lure her opponents into a false sense of security before showing them her claws. Quite literally, as the girl's weapon of choice was a fine set of silver daggers. Again, noticing the promise in his unconventional pupil, Mukuro summoned Belphegor from the Varia. It was surprisingly easy gain the psychopathic murderer's acquiescence… probably derived from the sweet smile Kyoko had turned on him, with a pretty curtsy and a murmured, 'Your Highness,' when he was introduced. How the younger Sasagawa sibling had known exactly what to say was a mystery to the Mist, but Bel's delight was almost tangible. He had bowed over her hand, called her his 'princessa', and gleefully taught her the fine art of drawing blood. Tsuna had not been happy about the training, but when Kyoko had added a new set of scars to a visiting Don for blatantly groping Hana in the hallway, he stopped muttering about it.

Hana, despite her bristly exterior, was definitely not faring as well as her friends in the training. Mukuro determined that the girl was much like his sweet Chrome when he'd first found her… weak, and so completely unsure of herself that she undermined her own abilities. With much the same hand that he'd used on Nagi, Mukuro gently pulled the girl away from her own uncertainties. He patiently repeated the same moves over and over again, his smile always at the ready as he taught her the fine 'normal' female arts of self-defense. By the time he determined her capable, she was deadly accurate with a can of mace and knew all of the vital, painful points on the human body. She would never be an assassin, but Mukuro was quite confident that she would never be anyone's victim either. She had also proven to be quite devious with a computer and an internet connection, even going so far (at her wicked tutor's urging) to break into the Varia Mist's bank account. After getting over his catatonic state, Mammon offered to share contacts with the girl and train her, as long as the Vongola Decimo was willing to pay him for the privilege. Tsuna readily agreed, recognizing both the potential of Hana's abilities and the fact that she'd need more protection than the others.

After a bit, Mukuro realized he was actually looking forward to the training sessions. The girls never shied away from him, never muttered about him behind his back, and not once did their clear eyes hold anything but trust for him. He admitted, to himself at least, that that was exactly what kept him coming back to his darling Nagi. He never wanted to be trusted, liked, or respected by the foul mafia… but the unconditional love those girls showed for him soothed his soul more than any plans of mayhem and revenge ever had.

* * *

Tsuna watched from the sidelines, and was privately thrilled by the changes in his devious Mist Guardian. Though he was still an extremely tactile creature, and still took great pleasure both in cuddling with Tsuna and sparring with Hibari, he had turned his other attentions on the girls, no longer trying to creep the Guardians out. Again, the odd man out in this was Ryohei, who was now seeking the attention of the illusionist, and not being shy about tossing an arm around him when they sat near each other or offering friendly punches to the shoulder when they met in the hall. Even Hibari had decided the illusionist was a worthy opponent, and took care to make sure he was healthy and safe. (If anyone DARED to ask the Skylark why he was so concerned, after getting thoroughly bitten to death, Kyoya would reply that the pineapple was no fun to fight weak.) The young Decimo knew that Mukuro needed the love that his family so willingly offered. He did his best to keep his male Mist out of meetings and gatherings that weren't desperately important, and showered him with affection both privately and publicly.

After all, he couldn't do without the soft 'ku fu fu's that wafted into his office after he'd been at the paperwork too long. He didn't want to live without the long, slender fingers that ran through his hair and combed the thousand small tensions away. He would not live without his surprisingly gentle illusionist friend, and he would fight anyone who sought to take him away again.


	2. Chrome

All she ever wanted was to be noticed. But all she ever seemed to be was a burden, or a vessel. She was always in someone else's shadow, never allowed to have the sunlight on her face. The shadows were useful, though. They hid her tears. But she was so very tired of crying.

The first time the shy girl felt the sun on her face was also the first time she truly stood up to her Mukuro-sama. He had practically demanded that she remain in Japan when the call came in for the Guardians to move to Italy. He had cajoled, threatened, and even yelled at her, but she refused to back down from the one thing she wanted more than anything else. Hadn't Bossu said she was as much his Guardian as Mukuro? Hadn't he said he'd never abandon her?

They fought for two days, and Kokuyo Land was safe for no one while they raged. Mukuro had never realized his darling Nagi had developed such a backbone, and Chrome was absolutely determined to follow the family she had made wherever they chose to go. It was another point against Mukuro that Kyoko, Haru, Hana, and I-Pin were also planning on going. The purple-haired illusionist had grown to rely on her sweet friends and couldn't stand the thought of being apart from them.

It was the third day of their argument, and Chrome had almost decided to give in… she couldn't stand her Mukuro-sama so upset with her. But she had one last ace up her sleeve, and decided to use it. The male Mist had often utilized underhanded means to get his way before; surely he could understand the need for them.

And sure enough, when confronted with not just Chrome, but Tsuna, Ryohei, Takeshi, and Hayato, Mukuro could only shake his head and give his signature 'ku fu fu'. Chrome had won the argument, by simply showing her savior that he was not the only one who needed her now. The sun truly did peek out of the clouds that afternoon, shining warmly on her smiling face as Tsuna told her to go pack and told Mukuro to stop babying her so much.

The next time she felt the sun on her face, she was alone. She had been taking a walk through beautiful Milan; a well-deserved vacation after a mission that had taken her almost a week to complete. Around her, couples strolled together, hands entwined, laughing and flirting. Small children ran ahead of their parents, turning around to show laughing faces and shining eyes. Love was in the air in all its incarnations.

She found herself at a park and couldn't help the soft, melancholy sigh that slipped from her lips. Love was all around her, and here she was, completely alone. Not that that was really atypical, most of her life had been spent alone. But, just once… it would be lovely to have someone hold her hand in public, send her flowers, tell her she was pretty… Ugh! She shook her head, trying to shake away her silly thoughts. She was a Vongola Guardian, after all. How much more attention did she want?

She was broken from her reverie by a soft cough at her side. When she opened her eye, a beautiful purple rose was in front of her face. With a soft squeak, she whipped her head to the side, to see Takeshi sitting next to her.

"A beautiful lady shouldn't be sitting by herself in the middle of the city." The ex-baseball idol grinned, but it was the voice of the Storm Guardian that had spoken. She blinked and looked to the other side, smiling as she saw him light a cigarette.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" Not that she wasn't thrilled to have company, but the right- and left-hand of the Decimo surely had better things to be doing….

"Maa maa, Tsuna gave us the day off, since we hadn't had a chance to see you before your vacation." The Rain Guardian handed her the flower and dropped a soft kiss on the side of her head.

"Seriously, what'd you have to run off like that for? You were gone for a week, we got worried." Hayato's rough voice expelled a lungful of smoke before he leaned over for a hug. "You know you're supposed to check in before going out again."

"Hai… I just… " She blushed brightly, fingers gently toying with the purple petals. Her voice came out really soft, almost as bad as when they'd first met almost 5 years ago. "I checked in with Bossu… I didn't think you'd care…"

The first indication that she'd said something wrong was Hayato's cigarette hitting the ground. The second was Takeshi sitting up straight, staring at her. She winced at the sharp intake of breath that usually meant the explosives expert was going to launch into a tirade. So she was caught totally and completely off guard when he suddenly swooped in and wrapped his arms around her.

In a soft, almost sweet voice, he whispered in her ear and she was thankful that Mukuro had taught her Italian. "_Piccola sorella, siamo sempre attenti dove si è e su cosa si sta facendo._"*

Takeshi simply took her free hand, twining their fingers together and shaking his head at her. "Really, Chrome, what do we have to do to prove it?" He actually sounded exasperated, and she wondered briefly when the Rain and Storm had reversed their personalities.

"I'm sorry. I just… " She took a deep breath, resting her head on Hayato's shoulder and tilting it up slightly to watch Takeshi with her good eye. "I guess I'm just waiting for you to get sick of me too… everyone does, after a while." She bit her lip, finally voicing her greatest fear, not to her boss or her savior, but to two of the Guardians that were against her joining in the first place.

She felt Hayato nod against her head. Takeshi had heard this a long time ago, so he felt safe telling Chrome as well. "I was waiting for that for a long time too… waiting for Juudaime to kick me out of the family, waiting for the baseball idiot to take my place, or just waiting for Reborn to decide he had enough of me and kill me outright. Other than the killing part, that's pretty much exactly what my life was before Namimori. It feels like everyone is against you, and you know it's only a matter of time before they figure out there's something wrong with you and want to get away from you too."

A tear slid down Chrome's cheek as she heard her thoughts echoed in the hot-headed Storm's voice. "M-my parents, they just wanted me to die… and then when Mukuro-sama saved me, no one but he wanted me around. I just… I know there must be something wrong with me…" She bit her lip to hold in the soft sobs as she cradled the rose to her chest and Hayato's arms tightened around her.

Takeshi stood silently, moving away from the two of them both to give them a bit of privacy and to make sure no one else disturbed them. He curled his hands into fists, normally laughing eyes dark with a rage he was rather unused to feeling. How anyone could WANT their daughter to die… especially a girl as sweet and gentle as Chrome… he just didn't understand people sometimes.

"Storm-man…"

"Hayato."

She blushed, swallowed and tried again. "Hayato… thank you. I promise to check in with you too, if you really want me to." She picked her head up, smiling despite the tears on her cheek.

He smiled back, the gentle smile she assumed he only gave to Tsuna, and wiped her cheek gently. "We really want you to. It was all the baseball-idiot and I could do to keep the turf-top and the stupid cow at home. The skylark bastard just said he'd bite you to death if you disappeared again."

She giggled softly, leaning forward to peck his cheek. "Then I suppose that I'd best keep my whereabouts known, yes?"

He grinned, looking more like himself as he stood and held out a hand for her. "Now c'mon, the baseball idiot and I didn't get the day off to sit here watching you bawl."

She took his hand and stood. Takeshi had turned with his normal smile as they walked up to him. Taking the rose, he tucked it behind her ear and took her other hand. "I'm starving, Haya-kun!"

"Argh, you idiot, don't call me that!" They bickered back and forth as they drug her away from the park. Despite the fact that the two men towered over her, she lifted her head and felt the sun warm her face and dry the tears, as if telling her that everything was finally going to be ok.

* * *

The change in Chrome was almost night and day when she came back from her vacation two days early. She had driven back to the Vongola Mansion with Hayato and Takeshi the morning after they'd asked for the day off. When she'd walked into the mansion between them, her eye bright and a laugh on her lips, Tsuna breathed a small sigh of relief. He knew Hayato could be a bit pushy, and he had been worried about the timid girl.

Over the course of the next couple weeks, he watched her laugh more, tease more, and show open affection to all the Guardians. Kyoya wasn't even exempt, getting a soft kiss on the cheek as she handed him a cup of his favorite green tea. Chrome's bright laughter, though soft, filled the mansion with a warmth the Decimo hadn't realized it was missing. It was like sunlight had seeped into every corner of their home.

* * *

AN: *_Little_ _Sister, we always care about where you are and what you're doing._

AAAAAAGH, soooo fluffy, but really, Chrome gets so little fluff and she needs it more than the others. And Hayato is totally aware of the fact that he's the one who's pushed her away the most, so he's being sincere to make up for being a douche. lol


	3. Lambo & Hayato

Continuously at the heart of the attack, the storm of raging waves that never rests. Hayato Gokudera thought he personified that rather well… until he moved back to Italy. It was then that he realized that the attacks didn't always center around his Juudaime, and that they weren't always physical. Listening to the disgusting things the subordinates, the other Families, and even sometimes the Guardians themselves said made the silver-haired bomber well up with a rage that was almost holy… and somehow calmed him at the same time.

The first time he heard the term 'bastard' when he got back to Italy, it wasn't directed at him. It was being sneered ahead of him as he walked down the hall of the tenth generation's quarters, about a month after they can arrived in Italy. Curious as to who would be so nasty in their private wing, he quickened his steps, praying it wasn't his precious boss being so abused.

"Dirty little brat, how dare you?! Bastard child, you had one job and you managed to screw even that up? Should have just let your filthy slut of a mother take you…"

* * *

Lambo had been hiding. He could admit that, at least to himself. The move to Italy had thrilled him, right up to the point where they'd gotten off the plane and been greeted by the driver of the fancy Vongola limo. Apparently, he was new, and didn't recognize the fact that the Bovino child was Tsuna's Lightning Guardian.

What really hurt was when Tsuna had just scratched the back of his head, a bit embarrassed, as he explained who the boy was.

Variations of this had been the norm ever since. Most of the subordinates learned that Lambo by himself wasn't really a threat, and took frequent opportunities to torment him whenever they could. Tsuna had noticed that the normally boisterous Lightning had become subdued, but simply chalked it up to homesickness. His Hyper Intuition was going haywire in this new place, since half the time, there was someone around who wanted to kill him, no matter how indirectly.

Being dismissed by his older brother figure hurt more than all the jabs he'd had to endure, so he'd decided quickly enough to not bother Tsuna with it. Hiding gave him more time for naps and studying, after all, and he DID have classes to catch up in, as Bakadera pointed out.

What he wasn't expecting was to run into a very familiar, and paralyzing, face as he walked down the tenth generation's wing in search of a snack. Usually, his attackers stopped at the entrance of their wing, having been warned off or frightened away by Mukuro and Kyoya. This face, however, had played frequently in his nightmares from before he had ever gone to Japan, and the sight of it here literally had him stopped in his tracks… until the thick, meaty hand swung down and reinstilled the 'proper' attitude of cowering in front of his older brother and the newly deemed leader of the Bovino Family.

* * *

Hayato heard a very familiar sniffle and almost ran around the corner, his Vongola Gear glowing red at his belt. Sure enough, there was nine year old Lambo, cowering in the face of a man that put the boy's bull, Gyuudon to shame. Hayato had never seen him look so truly scared. No matter what Reborn put him through, no matter how many times he had to fight, the pure terror that poured from his entire body at the moment had the Storm Guardian seething. The red welt that covered half the boy's face didn't help Hayato's temper any.

He whispered softly, summoning his Sistema C.A.I. and his Storm Leopard. Neither of the other two figures in the room noticed anything until the half-grown Uri paced its way to Lambo, letting out a wide yawn and rubbing against him. The Bovino child's eyes widened as the cat turned icy green eyes, so very much like its master's, on the large man in front of him.

* * *

"H-hayato-nii?" The wide eyes stared at the older Storm Guardian, conflicted. He knew this was a family matter, and didn't want to get the older boy involved… but he was so desperately glad to see him that he couldn't hide it. No matter how many times the two fought, Hayato-nii would always step between him and his bullies, usually with a 'no one but me gets to beat up on the ahoshi'. Lambo knew it was just the Storm's personality. Lambo returned the gesture by distracting their family from Hayato's overzealous behavior with his own childish antics. It had been quite some time since either of them had tried to injure the other with any seriousness.

* * *

"You wouldn't be bullying my little brother, would you?" The soft click of his shields shifting accented his words, eyes narrowed as he stared at the larger man, who had turned away from the boy to face this new threat.

"Your little brother, eh? Not surprised you'd consider him that; birds of a feather and all that nonsense." The man bore a similar resemblance to Lambo, including the huge afro the boy had just been convinced to cut off. A large cow pendant swung at the neck of his open shirt and he shifted; arms loose at his sides as he prepared for a fight. "After all, bastard unwanted children should stick together." He guffawed as if he had just told the best joke in the world.

Hayato's eyes just narrowed, and he reached out with his free hand. "Lambo, come here." The boy scrambled forward to obey the silver-haired explosives expert, but was stopped by a hand around the back of his neck, jerking him back. Lambo paled, whimpering softly. Not the normal, gulping sobs he normally did, but the soft mewls of a beaten dog. The sound made the Storm guardian sick, and Uri's tail lashed back and forth.

"I'm not done here yet." The Storm Leopard, fed on the rage in Hayato's heart, bit the larger man's arm, causing him to roar in pain and release Lambo. She hissed loudly, guarding the cow child as he ran over to Hayato, whimpering softly. He was trying desperately not to cry, and to summon his Vongola gear, but his fear was too much for him to hold onto his resolve. All he could do was sink to his knees, wrap his arms around his middle, and watch.

"This could be a declaration of war, Vongola Storm!" The man roared, holding his bleeding arm as Uri paced in front of her master, almost smirking herself. "The Bovinos will not be treated this way by a bastard who's Don was too stupid to kick him to the streets!"

Hayato's eyes flashed at the insult to his boss and he lifted his arm, his voice an enraged hiss as he called, "Uri, Cambio Forma." The cat's eyes flattened out, but before the transformation could complete itself, Lambo had finally started to move.

"H-hayato-nii, NO! He… he's my brother!" The Lightning Guardian ran in front of the large Bovino male, the tears finally spilling down his cheeks as he was forced to defend the man who'd just been abusing him. But… he couldn't let the Storm hurt his brother, no matter what. That's what he did… became a Lightning rod to take the damage for his family… even if they weren't always Vongola. The thought ripped through him that he was using his guardian position to defend AGAINST his Storm… but Tsuna-nii had taught him that family was family.

"Eh? Lambo, get out of the way!" Uri, however, had stopped transforming, solidifying into her leopard form as she felt the indecision in her master's heart. With an echoing roar, she jumped over the younger Guardian and swiped at the Bovino's face, leaving him with bloody claw marks and smacking his head against the far wall, effectively knocking him out. Her tail lashed back and forth as she hissed at the fallen male.

Lambo grabbed his cellphone, hitting one button. "Ts-tsuna-nii… Lambo-sama is…" The phone was taken from him as the child reverted to calling himself in the third person, tears pouring down his cheeks.

"Juudaime."

"Hayato, what's going on?! What's wrong with Lambo? Are you two all right?!"

The rush of words and concern made the right hand smile a bit. "We're fine, Juudaime. Send a medical team up to our wing, there's been a fight. No property damage, but the infirmary will have a visitor. I'll deal with Lambo."

"Hayato…." His voice was warring between confusion and warning his Storm Guardian not to be too rough.

"I got this, Juu-Tsuna. Don't worry about it." He actually hung up on his boss, reaching down to pick the sobbing boy up gently. It's been a long time since the loyal puppy that followed Tsuna through school, but he still felt a twinge of guilt as the phone settled in his pocket. He turned away from the bleeding body on the floor and walked into his quarters. After setting Lambo down on his couch, he headed to the bathroom and got his first-aid kit, knowing the younger male needed it.

While he was gone, Lambo had curled himself into a little ball on the couch, rocking back and forth as he muttered to himself in a pidgin mix of Italian and Japanese. Hayato had never seen him so… broken. All he could really make out of the boy's ramblings were, 'useless', 'unwanted', 'supposed to die', repeated over and over again with sprinklings of the colorful language he had picked up from Hayato.

Kneeling, the silver-haired man rested a hand on his little brother's head, trying to get him to look up. Lambo flinched away from him, eyes huge and still full of tears. "D-don't… Lambo-sama is… will be…" He whimpered and bit his lip, shaking his head. "Lambo-sama should go… go away… Big brother was right… useless…"

With a soft growl, Hayato picked the boy up and settled him into his lap, stroking the soft hair as he rocked him gently. It had been a long time since he'd felt the need to cradle the young Lightning, probably during the Ring Battle when poor Lambo was so deeply hurt. He realized that once again, the boy was almost mortally wounded, but this time, it was a wounding of the heart… one bandages would never be able to fix.

"Stupid cow, listen to me." The epithet had turned into a term of endearment, and startled the younger Guardian out of his diatribe, making him tilt his head up to look at Gokudera. "You are never, ever allowed to leave, do you understand me? Juudaime would be heartbroken if he lost his little brother."

The bomber tightened his arms around Lambo, sighing softly as he rested his head against the boy's hair. "We'd all be upset if you left, Lambo. Who cares what that overgrown excuse for a hamburger said? He's obviously SO important that he waits until now to show up? Screw him. You're better than he is, than they are, because you're ours."

The sobbing in his arms slowly died down, and he sighed as the smaller body relaxed against him. "A-am I really, Hayato-nii? I know that Tsuna-nii doesn't really want me around…" He sniffled, trying to piece together what he was feeling, and the words he wanted to use.

"Juudaime just worries, ahoshi. If he had his way, none of us would ever fight, you know that. It's harder with you, because he's taken care of you for so long, and you're so much younger than we are." He smiled a bit, shaking his head. "He doesn't understand that you're at least as tough as that pineapple bastard. You can take it, and you can dish it out. None of us would have let you stay a Guardian, knowing how dangerous it was, if we didn't think you could handle it."

Lambo nodded a bit, taking this in. The normally loud, boisterous child simply sat quietly, pondering things. "I… always knew that they didn't really want me, ya know? I mean, c'mon. 'Go kill Reborn.' Cha, every mafia brat in the world knows who he is. I knew I didn't stand a chance." He took a deep breath, letting out the secret he'd kept for years. "But I figured, if I died, at least then my family would be happy. Of course, I never expected to meet Maman, or Tsuna-nii, or any of you. So I kept playing, kept teasing Reborn… kept fighting, hoping that whatever killed me would do it without hurting too much. And then… I didn't really want to die. I wanted to live, to keep playing, and to keep the family that had taken me in. I felt so selfish…"

His eyes were wide, and desperate as he looked up at the Storm. Hayato knew there had never been, and would never be innocence in them, just as there was none in his own green orbs. "But… I don't want to die anymore. I want to live. I want to protect Tsuna-nii, and you, and Chrome-nee. I want to play with I-Pin and eat more of Maman's food, even though it's only on holidays now. Is… is that ok?"

Hayato sighed softly, gently putting him down and starting to tend to his wounds. "Idiot cow, of course it's ok. Isn't that what I've been trying to say all along?"

Because both of them knew, even if they would never say it again, that the Storm needed its Lightning to be truly effective, and the Lightning couldn't truly shine if it lost its Storm.

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AN: First of all, I promise there won't be an annoying note at the end of all of these, but I felt like this one needed a bit of an explanation. This has been a plot bunny that's been kicking around in my head since the Ring Battle. Watching Hayato care for Lambo even with everything else going on was one of the BEST side scenes in the whole anime, in my opinion. Thus, this little gem *coughcough* was born. lol

Please R&R to let me know what you think.


	4. Ryohei

All Ryohei ever really wanted to do was live life to its fullest, protect his sister, and of course, box. He never bothered to try much academically, because, let's face it; he'd be getting a sports scholarship anyway. Even if he didn't, there was always professional boxing. He knew he was that good, and he wasn't really worried about it either way. It bothered Kyoko, but it was good for a man to know his limitations. The problem was more that he needed to learn about the limitations of other people… and sometimes, the lack thereof.

Becoming Tsuna's big brother had expanded Ryohei's horizons some; instead of a life of boxing tournaments and the seemingly never-ending task of guarding his sister, there was a whole family of protectors and who knew he'd be such an extremely good healer?

The only bump in Ryohei's smooth road was that he couldn't keep his beloved sister in the dark about the mafia. When they returned from the future, Kyoko had taken her brother aside and given him a thorough tongue-lashing for lying to her about everything. The younger Sasagawa had a spine of steel and a cold glint in her eyes as she gave her elder sibling the most EXTREME scolding he'd ever had.

So, after graduation, when the guardians had to move to Italy, Ryohei didn't think twice about telling his strawberry blonde sister exactly what was going on. The only problem with this was that Kyoko then told him that she would be going with him. He protested, not wanting her any more involved than she already was… but she put her foot down. She had talked, a lot, but the gist of what Ryohei remembered was that she wasn't a little girl anymore, and she was just as capable of taking care of Tsuna-kun and the others now as she had been in the future. The girls had already decided they were following their chaotic friends, and there was nothing the energetic boxer could say to talk her out of it.

Then, when they'd gotten there, and he'd finally gotten used to their routine, it was determined (without him being involved, a fact that left him EXTREMELY put out) that the girls would be getting fighting training. He had started boxing so his precious little sister didn't HAVE to fight, why was she getting trained now? When he stormed into Tsuna's office to find out what the young boss's reasons were, he was halted by none other than Lussuria, who was lounging indolently on the corner of the Don's desk.

"Ryo-chan!" The saccharine-sweet voice of the flamboyant boxer made Ryohei grin and almost forget why he was there.

"Lussuria! It's EXTREMELY good to see you!" The two boxers came together in a clashing embrace, Lussuria squealing excitedly. "What are you doing here?!"

"I came to drop off Bel-chan for his training session! That ADORABLE sister of yours is getting soooo good!"

Ryohei's eyebrow twitched as he was reminded why he was in his boss's office in the first place. "Ah, Sawada! Why is my sister getting EXTREME training?! Aren't we supposed to be protecting her and the girls?! What happened to 'not letting them get involved'?!" With every question, the boxer's voice rose in decibels until he was shouting at Tsuna, who just sighed softly, reached into his desk drawer, and pulled out a couple aspirin.

"Neh, Ryo-chan, you don't want Kyo-chan trained?" Lussuria's voice had gotten softer as the other boxer's had raised, his head tilted to the side in confusion. "Whyever not, sweetling?"

"It's my EXTREME JOB as her brother to protect her! And Sawada promised he would too…." Here, the energetic Sun guardian shot a glare at his boss. "She shouldn't need to fight, if we're there." He folded his arms over his chest, daring Tsuna to answer him.

As the brunette started to open his mouth, he was cut off by an overly dramatic huff from the effeminate Varia assassin. "How selfish, Ryo-chan…. Really, I thought you were better than that…"

Ryohei looked at Lussuria, totally confused. "Wha-?"

"That girl has traveled across the world to be with her brother, and her family. She's given up her entire life in Japan to join you here. And you begrudge her the ability of staying alive to greet you when you come home? We'd never let ANYONE; girl, boy or otherwise into the Varia Mansion without them being able to save their own skin."

Ryohei tilted his head slightly, considering the other boxer's words. They had become friends after the ring battle, and even better friends after the Vongola guardians had moved to Italy. He knew that inside the flamboyant exterior was a soul as passionate as his own when it came to protecting the people they cared about. "B-but, Luss… She needs me. She was always getting hurt as a kid, I can't let that happen to her again. I promised…"

"Sweet Ryo-chan, she's not a kid anymore, and neither are you. You both have your responsibilities, and one of hers is getting good enough at protecting herself that you don't have to worry so much if she's out of your sight. This is the mafia, lovecheeks, not your typical squaredance." He straightened himself up and blew Tsuna a kiss. "C'mon, angelface, we're gonna go check in on that sister of yours, cuz I think you're in desperate need of an eye opener." With that, he grabbed Ryohei's arm and drug him from the office and down to the training room.

Ryohei's eyes widened and his jaw dropped in EXTREME astonishment as he viewed his sister and her trainer. Belphegor's 'ushishishishi' echoed as he threw knife after knife at the strawberry blonde. She dodged, weaved and ducked to avoid them, eyes flashing in… glee? She was… happy to be here? Not forced… not being punished. He couldn't help the gasp that slipped from him as she suddenly jumped straight up in the air, throwing knives back at the self-proclaimed prince. He dodged them quickly and jumped after her, looking to continue their fight in mid-air.

The boxer couldn't see what happened next, because Belphegor's body blocked Kyoko's, but suddenly, the prince was falling back to earth on his back and his sweet, angelic, INNOCENT sister was landing with purpose on a pile of rubble.

"Ush shi shi shi shi… you cut the Prince's uniform, Princessa. You should pay for that…"

Kyoko simpered, batting her eyes at the (quite literally) fallen prince. "But, your Highness surely must have better to wear than those rags." She tilted her head and Ryohei almost died of cuteness overload.

"She's gotten better, Bel. The repairs for those robes had better be coming out of your pay." The soft voice of Mammon heralded the ex-Arcobaleno revealing himself and pulling the prince to his feet. "We'll have to talk to Squalo about training her, and possibly the other one, in the use of flames if these Vongola are too stupid do it themselves."

"HEY! That's MY SISTER you're EXTREMELY trying to steal! If anyone teaches her about the Flames, it's going to be ME, to the EXTREME!" Ryohei ran into the room, standing in front of Kyoko with a protective air.

She just sighed softly, and stepped up behind him. Belphegor's eyes widened under his bangs when he saw the glint of silver in her hand. Would she actually hurt her own brother?

Ryohei's ranting came to a halt when he felt a gentle pressure at his throat, and another at his ribcage. "K-kyoko?"

"Onii-san, we've had this conversation. A couple of times… are you going to let me do things my way, or do I have to prove what I'm capable of? I'm not even sure you can USE the Sun flames on yourself..." She trailed off with a sweet smile, resting her head on her brother's shoulder.

He carefully turned, making sure not to cut himself on her blades. "K-kyoko…" He noted that she was balanced on another rock to make her reach higher. He just shook his head and pulled her into his arms. "Kyoko, I just don't want you to cry anymore. I keep breaking my promise…" His voice was muffled in her shoulder, and the Varia looked away, giving them at least the illusion of privacy.

She sighed, snuggling into his familiar warmth. "You haven't broken anything, Onii-san. You don't get into random brawls, and you protect me as much, and sometimes more, than humanly possible. Don't you think I'd like to return the favor, even just a little bit? I'll never be as good as you, or Tsuna-kun, but if I can keep our home safe while you're gone, and you know that you'll always come back to me smiling at you… isn't that worth something?"

He heaved a deep sigh and looked into her smiling face. "All right, Kyoko. I'll extremely support your extreme decision." He managed to not yell in her face, amazingly. Turning to look at the Varia Prince, he pointed at him. "You'd better train her EXTREMELY well, Varia… Nothing is more important to me in this world than my sister."

Belphegor started to make a snide comment, but Lussuria punched him in the side of the head, smiling sweetly as he did so. "Ryo-chan, of course Bel-chan will train her well. He's a prince, after all, and they never do anything sloppily."

Ryohei nodded and helped Kyoko off her rock before releasing her. "Then… I guess this is all right." He grinned at Lussuria. "If Kyoko is training, that means that I need to get better EXTREMELY fast! C'mon, let's spar!" Lussuria just laughed as his Sun counterpart pulled him from the room for some outdoor training.

Ryohei knew that getting hurt was a part of life. He also knew he hated the idea of his sister being injured in any way. But he also knew that no matter what kind of injury she sustained, he'd be right there to heal it. And if that Mammon thought he'd be getting his hands on his sister's flames, he had another thing coming.

Little did Ryohei know…


	5. Kyoko, Haru, and Hana

AN: OMG, long chapter is LONG! Gomen! But these three needed some love. Please R&R, I'd love to know your opinions.

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In the future-that-never-was, Kyoko Sasagawa and Haru Miura had gotten quite the rude awakening. Their sweet, often clumsy friend, Tsuna, was really a mafia boss, and all of the crazy people he had been surrounding himself with were his Guardians. Moreover, they had been hiding all of this from the two girls because neither of them was completely capable of protecting themselves. That burned. A lot.

After taking her brother to task for lying, Kyoko had contacted Haru to discuss their options. It was determined by both girls that, in order for the future to be different, they themselves had to be different as well. This meant making it so they were indispensable to the group that surrounded Tsuna. And frankly, cooking and cleaning just wasn't going to cut it. As nice as the gesture was, it wasn't a dire need kind of thing.

So, during high school, the girls got in the habit of doing Hayato's laundry and making sure he had food, helping out at Takeshi's sushi shop, learning all of Nana's recipes so they could repeat them at will, and bringing the Kokuyo gang food at least three times a week. They invited Chrome out to spend time with them, and often suggested she summon Mukuro (until he was released) so he could have some social interaction as well.

All was going according to plan, except for the fact that the girls were still totally incapable of doing anything more than yelling for Tsuna when something threatened them. It still burned; especially Haru, who had the heart of a fighter, if not the ability. So when Bianchi told them the Guardians would be moving to Italy, the girls made up their mind very quickly to join them. Hana, not wanting to lose her best friend and knowing about all the attractive men in Italy, decided to accompany them. There was a mild argument, but the girls knew the boys' hearts weren't in it, especially since Reborn, Chrome, and Bianchi were all for them going.

After about a month of doing their typical duties, the two girls had decided it was time. Haru was surprised by Kyoko's deviousness; the strawberry blonde had planned everything down to the last detail, including exactly how long they'd let them get used to the care before threatening to pull it out from underneath them.

That's how they found themselves in the middle of a Guardian meeting at 10 in the morning on a bright Friday. Hayato was spluttering, Takeshi just laughed and greeting them brightly, Kyoya and Mukuro ignored their presence. Tsuna looked startled, but greeted them warmly, smiling as he offered them seats. Chrome knew why they were there… after a widening of her uncovered eye, she settled back against Mukuro and nodded slightly to them.

Kyoko chose this day especially, because she knew that Reborn had taken Lambo for some extra training and Ryohei had accompanied them. She wasn't so much worried about the boy she looked at as a little brother… it was the older one she was worried about. If she and Haru could convince the Guardians assembled that their plan was a good one, her brother would abide by their ruling.

"Kyoko, Haru. What brings you here? Is everything all right?" Tsuna waved Hayato back as Takeshi pushed the extra small couch over. It was only ever used when all of the Guardians were together at once, which had been a rare occurrence already.

"No, Tsuna-kun, everything is not all right. But we think that you might be able to help us." Kyoko's sweet smile and tilted head wrapped the young Boss just a little further around her finger. Haru was quite jealous of the girl's control.

"A-all right. What can we help you with?" He leaned back in his chair, fighting valiantly to keep the blush off his face.

"Hahi! Haru and Kyoko are not just maids and cooks, desu!" A small hand punching the arm of the couch accented the brunette's words.

"Oi, stupid woman, don't yell at Juudaime! You're the ones who decided to come here," in a horrible falsetto imitation of Haru's voice, he continued, " 'to make Tsuna-san's life easier, desu!' "

Haru sneered at him, folding her arms across her chest. "Making things easier isn't always about cooking and cleaning, desu. Sometimes it's about worrying less, and being able to focus on other problems. Something a BAKA like you wouldn't understand!" She stuck her tongue out at the Storm Guardian, who looked quite ready to blow her up there and then.

"Enough! Both of you." Tsuna held up a hand, effectively cutting off their bickering. "Kyoko-chan, what exactly is the problem here?"

"Easy, Tsuna-kun. Haru and I don't mind tending to you and the other Guardians, but in return, we want to learn to defend ourselves. We don't want to be a burden on you anymore."

Hayato face-palmed. "Sasagawa-san, you're not useless. We all appreciate your efforts here every day."

"Now get back in the kitchen, right?" Kyoko's sweet voice didn't match the glint in her eyes. No one noticed Kyoya's small 'wao' from the corner as the Storm Guardian blinked. "I don't think so, Hayato-kun. Not anymore. We've heard the stories from traveling to that horrible future, and we've talked to the staff, and even some of the older Guardians here. We know that you guys want to protect us, want to keep us safe… but you're going to get yourselves hurt trying to split your attention between us and where you need to be."

"Haru wants to be here smiling and waiting for you to come back, but right now… all we can do is hide in a closet and hope no one opens the door, desu. We can't live like that, but Haru doesn't want to live away from you either."

Her huge brown eyes, so sad and determined, almost broke the young Don. "Haru, I…"

"Omnivore… let them train." All eyes turned to Kyoya in shock and he 'hn'ed at the attention.

"But who COULD train them? It can't be Bianchi or we'll never be able to eat again. Reborn is far too harsh, and I can't let any of the older Guardians get their hands on them…"

"I will do it." Again, all eyes flew to the speaker, shocked at the older Mist's words.

"M-mukuro. Are you sure?" Tsuna looked at him dubiously; he wasn't normally one to volunteer to help out anything to do with the mafia.

"Oya, I said I would do it, Tsunayoshi-kun. Don't make me repeat myself." The illusionist was suddenly startled by two pairs of arms around him as the girls made their gratitude known. Chrome looked over at his wide eyes and shared a smile with him, showing her thanks silently. "Don't get so comfortable, ladies… we start training tomorrow, and it won't be pleasant."

"Hahi! We're ready for it, desu! C'mon, Kyoko, we gotta get dinner started!" The two ran out, thrilled with their success. Tsuna wasn't as happy, but simply shook his head. "Be careful with them, Mukuro… they're not as strong as they think they are."

"You disappoint me, omnivore. I think they'll surprise you." With that, Kyoya swept out of the meeting hall and off to his normal daily routine.

The next couple months were both heaven and hell to the girls. Hana had decided to join in, because she didn't want to be left behind again. Mukuro trained them with a patience he had never shown anyone outside of his Chrome, and the girls flourished under his tutelage, even if they did hit their beds exhausted. That might have had something to do with none of them being willing to give up their 'housewife' duties even while they were training.

It had been Mukuro's idea to see if guns would solve their problems. After all, many mafia wives, and daughters, and sisters, carried small handguns on them at all times, and were trained in their use. Hana and Kyoko were lost causes, neither one of them able to get the feel for the weapons. Haru, however, made up for both girls and then some, as she neatly shot target after target. When the Mist had questioned her abilities, she told him that her father had given her archery lessons when she was younger, but she couldn't continue them after she started attending her prep school.

He grinned and the next day, a small arsenal was waiting for her in the training room. She ran over like a child on Christmas day and proceeded to learn everything she could about every weapon that was there. He had included the manuals to all of the weapons, and she had dropped to the floor, the books spread out in front of her and the weapons in easy reach. Her training that day was mental, and he didn't begrudge it to her, because he knew she was like the Storm guardian; study before practice.

The next day, he demanded a showing of what she could do. When she aptly fired every weapon he had provided, he nodded and told her to keep practicing. The next day it went the same way, but this time, a harsh voice ended her target practice with a 'Kora!'

"Hahi?!" She turned to see the rather handsome blonde ex-Arcobaleno, Colonello watching her, his bird Falco perched on his shoulder.

"How long have you been shooting, kora?"

"Haru used to do archery, but just started using guns about a week ago."

Colonello was taken aback, but the only thing he allowed to show was a slight widening of his eyes. "Chyeah, no wonder you're terrible at it. Time for you to actually learn how to use those, kora!"

"Hahi! Haru wants to learn, desu!"

So began their rather unconventional training. The girls would work together for about an hour and a half, get a short break, and then Haru would go to work with Colonello for the rest of her training time. She took to it like a duck to water, and the two soon became friends, though that didn't stop him from devising the most strenuous training exercises he could think of.

Kyoko was thrilled that her friend had found her niche, but couldn't help the jealous bubble in her chest. She just wasn't a gun person. It wasn't that she didn't want to hurt anyone… it's just that they felt so wrong in her hands. Far too bulky, far too loud, far too…. Distant. Distant. She blinked as she rattled this off to Mukuro in a frustrated tone of voice.

"Distant, my dear?"

"Mm. Everything is so far away. I guess that's why onii-chan likes boxing so much. Maybe it runs in the family." She gave a soft mou of distaste. "But I really don't want to go around punching things either."

Mukuro stayed quiet for a bit, before telling her to get back to her practicing. The next day, a table was laid out for Kyoko and Hana, full of weapons that were more up close and personal. Hana immediately grabbed the can of pepper spray, clutching it to her. Kyoko smiled at her, then perused the table. The one thing that drew her in was a beautiful set of silver daggers. She walked up and down the table, eyeing the brass knuckles, the nightstick, the tonfas; a hope that she would find something else in her mind. She knew that if she went for those shiny daggers, it would freak Hana out.

The Mist Guardian saved her by calling Hana over. For a moment, Kyoko wondered if he could sense her inner turmoil. But even as she was thinking it, those daggers were in her hand and she was hefting the weight of one in her palm. They just felt… right, somehow. She couldn't help herself, imagining the wardrobe alterations she and Haru would need; grinning as she imagined the look of surprise on a would-be attackers face when suddenly he was presented with these silver beauties.

Mukuro was amused by the fleeting looks on her face. He knew exactly who to call in… but it would be dicey getting the little brat to agree to teach her. After getting Hana started on a training dummy, he walked back over to Kyoko. "I see you've chosen."

"Hai. Just… I don't know what everyone else will think of me." She blushed, looking up at him. "I've always been the good girl, you know? I never got into trouble, didn't pick fights, I was even friends with 'Dame-Tsuna' before he became a mafia boss." She sighed. "Everyone's going to look at me differently now."

"Yes, they will." He smirked, leaning down to give her a gentle kiss on the forehead. "Instead of seeing your mask, they'll see the real you, and they'll be stunned by it, my dear. Stop being a good girl, and be stunning."

Kyoko smiled and nodded. "It's about time, I guess. But, you don't use knives, Mukuro-kun. And none of the boys do either." She started to look dejected again, but Mukuro lifted her chin with a finger.

"I know a tutor for you. He's a bit… odd, but I've never seen anyone better with a knife or dagger in all my lives. I wouldn't trust my back to him, but he'll teach you. I think."

She nodded again, taking a deep breath. "I'm ready then. I'll do whatever it takes to be a useful part of this family."

The next day, Belphegor, the self-proclaimed prince of the Varia waltzed into their training room, hands in his pockets. "Ush shi shi shi shi, the Prince has arrived and is bored. Which of these peasants will entertain me?"

Kyoko looked up, then over at Mukuro. He nodded, so the girl looked again, taking in the uncommon figure. She smiled and walked over to him, giving him a very deep, pretty curtsy. "I'm honored that you would join us, Your Highness."

Mukuro blinked, watching the two interact. He hadn't wanted to frighten the girl, so he didn't tell her about the Varia assassin's normal demeanor. How in the world had she known….?

Bel, on the other hand, was delighted with this. He swept himself into a courtly bow, taking her hand and pulling her up gently before kissing her wrist. "I didn't realize there was a princessa amongst the commoners. Will you be entertaining, my dear? Shi shi shi…"

"If you would be so kind, I'd love to learn from the best, your Highness." The smile she brought out was dazzling, and made Belphegor grin all the wider.

"It will keep me from being bored, and of course, a prince never turns down the request of a beautiful princessa. Though, I make no promises that your beauty will remain intact if you train with me."

"If I can't protect my beauty, I'm not deserving of it, ne? I can already see that Prince Bel is quite good at protecting his good looks."

Mukuro was stunned. He couldn't react, he couldn't think. In under a minute, Kyoko had charmed her way not only into being trained by Belphegor, but he wasn't calling her a peasant either. He blinked rapidly, then couldn't help himself. "Ku fu fu fu fu fu fu…." Thankfully, the only one paying any attention to him was Hana, who just shook her head at his antics and went back to her dummy.

Belphegor practically moved into the Vongola Mansion after Ryohei's blow up, only leaving for missions and on the weekends, when Xanxus demanded his return. Mammon became a frequent visitor as well, often watching them spar.

It was in the fourth month of their training that Mammon's mumblings were proven true, and it was surprisingly Hana who was the first to show ability with her flames. The girls and Yamamoto had gone to pick Nana up from the airport. The woman had grown lonely now that not only her husband but her son and other adopted children had left for Italy. She had decided to visit, with the possibility of making the move permanent. Tsuna worried for her safety, but was glad to have her close even just for a visit… it felt to both him and Iemitsu that she was now too far away to protect properly.

That afternoon found the group wandering about Milan, after taking Nana to the cottage that would be hers on the outskirts of the city. It was close to the Vongola Mansion, but not so close she'd be involved in the day to day workings… it was also a concession that the External Advisor made to the Decimo. Tsuna demanded that Iemitsu start giving up some of his workload to Basil and start taking care of Nana better. The girls decided to do some shopping and were happily chatting when the first shot rang out. Two more followed in rapid succession, and suddenly Kyoko was on the ground, Haru was shooting back, and Yamamoto was running off in the direction the shots came from.

Hana stared down at her best friend, her yellow sundress ruined by large holes and rapidly spreading bloodstains, and dropped to her knees. "K-kyoko!" She cried out, trying to remember the first aid the Ninth Guardians had taught all of them. She pushed her hands down onto the wounds, sobbing her friend's name over and over again. Despite her efforts, the blood kept pouring out. "Kyoko, no… you can't die… please…" She shook her head, trying harder. "I just need to stop the bleeding… please, just… let me stop the bleeding!" Her sobs shook her body and it was a couple seconds before she realized that her hands were glowing a bright blue and the bleeding had indeed slowed. A lot. She gasped, staring at her hands but instinctively knowing to keep them on her friend.

The sound of pounding footsteps made her whip her head around as Haru and Yamamoto returned. He already had his blue flames out, ready to help, but stopped, staring at Hana in confusion for a moment before shaking his head. His normally smiling face was somber as he knelt down, checking on the prone strawberry blonde. "You did good, Hana. The medical team is already on their way, and Reborn is sending someone to pick up the corpse." His eyes narrowed as he looked up at Haru, then a hint of his normal smile poked through. "I didn't even get to see them before you took them out, Haru. Good job."

That evening, Hana sat next to her friend's bed, stroking her hand gently. "C'mon, slugabed… don't you think you've slept long enough?"

The door opened behind her and she turned a tired eye on the slumped form of Kyoko's brother, eyes haggard and clothing torn and bloody. Tsuna and Ryohei had been barely concealed fury when they had returned, and after making sure that Kyoko was no longer in any danger, they set out with Kyoya and Reborn to deal with the small family who'd been so foolish and cowardly. She gently set Kyoko's hand down and stood, walking over to help him take her seat. His arms around her startled her into stiffening, before she realized he was quietly crying in her shoulder.

"Th-thank you, Hana… thank you… I don't know… what I would have done…" The boxer's normally energetic voice was soft and broken.

The brunette just smiled gently, stroking his back. "I don't know what I would have done either, Ryohei… She's like my sister… she's the only real friend I've ever had." Her voice was barely a whisper as she tucked her head into the crook of his neck, finally letting herself relax. As her tears, softly, gently, started soaking his shirt, Ryohei tightened his arms around her, kissing the top of her head. "We'll just have to work hard to make sure that doesn't happen again, hmm?"

She sighed softly, loose and relaxed against him. "It will, though. Maybe not to her… but it would hurt just as much if it was you laying there." She bit her lip and hoped he hadn't heard her.

The boxer gave her a soft, wondering smile and tilted her chin up, kissing her forehead. "It would be extremely painful for me if you were there too, Hana."

From the bed, Kyoko gave a tiny, unnoticed smile and fell into a content sleep.

Once it was determined that the girls COULD use flames, it was then decided they should figure out what flames they held, so they could be trained.

To no one's surprise, Haru held Storm flames. Hayato handed her a 400 page handbook on using the Storm and told her he wouldn't teach her anything until she studied up. Two days later, she showed him how much she had learned. He refused to admit how impressed he was; just muttering that she wouldn't completely embarrass Juudaime anymore. The argument that sparked from that conversation leveled a portion of the east wing, and after Tsuna was done taking them to task for causing so much damage with the training room RIGHT DOWN THE HALL, no one messed with the girl again.

She was welcomed as Hayato's second amongst the Storm subordinates, and their arguments were loud and legendary… but whenever the two of them fought back to back, nothing around them was safe, as was proven against the Garuthni Family two months later. The Vongola intelligence had gotten wind of a child prostitution ring, and after verifying the rumors, Timoteo and Tsuna had both given the order for their punishment. Hayato was given the task of picking his team and decided to give Haru a real run instead of just the training room games they'd been playing. The two of them had grabbed ten subordinates and left with promises of a swift return.

The resistance they met with was more than anticipated. It seemed the Garuthni had been hiding their numbers and their intentions quite well. Haru grinned at Hayato and received an answering smirk. The two had been fighting neck and neck, filling the small mansion and larger underground base with explosions and the grunts of pain. They had one member seriously injured, but that had made everyone else fight all the more with the knowledge that their Decimo would be heartbroken over even the loss of one person.

"Hayato! Behind you!" Haru's sharp voice rang out and the Storm Guardian ducked as a shot rang out just past his ear, taking out the guard coming at his back. Haru yelped her signature 'Hahi!' as an explosion from behind her through her into the silver-haired bomber.

"Tch, stupid woman, watch your own back." Hayato grinned at her and set her on her feet. "C'mon, the main room is down this way, I'm sure we'll find the Don there." He looked back at the group behind them. "Clean this mess up and don't take too long doing it."

The two ran farther down the hall and Hayato blew the door off the hinges to find twenty more guards and their Don in the room with weapons out. His shields immediately moved to cover them as the air was filled with bullets.

Haru watched for his signal, the hands holder her sub-machine gun twitching lightly in anticipation. When the Storm Guardian nodded, the two ran through the door behind a handful of his bombs. Haru immediately sprayed the room with return-fire, then dropped the gun and grabbed Hayato's hand. His Storm touched her hand and she summoned her own flames to meet his in a bright flash of red. The sudden force of it whipped their hair and clothes into a fury. Chocolate and green eyes met in grim glee as they turned slightly, Haru resting her back against Hayato's and holding her free hand out. He mimicked her movements on the other side and the bright red flames turned into a maelstrom of destruction. Everything their flames touched melted away, including the guards, the walls, and soon, the entire building.

Fifteen minutes later, when the flames that licked at the ground had finally perished, the group of subordinates walked back into the wreckage to find their Guardian and his second sitting on the floor, leaning back to back, and laughing despite their obvious exhaustion. No one said anything to them; they just called for the transport home and the cleanup crew.

They were still snickering softly as they walked into Tsuna's office to make their report. After that, it was common knowledge that both the Storm and his second were completely nuts, and there was a running pool on which one would kill the other first. What no one else realized is that the two of them were laughing about not wanting to be the one to disappoint Tsuna… and the knowledge that they were both gearing toward the same goal, instead of making them rivals, turned the two into fast friends… which only fueled the 'insanity' rumors, really.

It took the younger Sasagawa the longest to find her flames, and when she did, it seemed that she had spent a bit too much time with Bel and Mammon. At least, that's what everyone was saying when the girl could suddenly appear and disappear at will, and seemingly pick the thoughts from people's heads.

She would never be as strong as Hana with her calming flames, or Haru, with the Storm Guardian's guidance and her own resolve, but Kyoko had spent her entire life hiding a darker nature that only Hana knew about. Weaving webs of deceit and trickery was right up her alley. It allowed her to not only become an excellent gatherer of information for the Vongola Intelligence and Kyoya's Foundation, but improved her assassination skills immensely.

Xanxus was the one who finally broke her of the habit of telling herself, and everyone else, that she was just protecting herself. In true Xanxus fashion, he did it by trying to kill her. When the girl vanished from his sight and appeared behind him, he threw her into a wall and smirked. "Assassin."

"Wh-what?" Her eyes were wide and she stared at him, not in fear as he'd come to expect, but in confusion, and just a hint of sadness.

"You're an assassin. Stop acting like a sheep."

"No. You're wrong. I'm-"

The gun in her face made her vanish again, a totally unconscious gesture that Bel and Mukuro had taught her. She reappeared a few feet away, shaking her head.

"Assassin. Embrace it, or stop playing with the big boys, scum." Xanxus holstered his gun and shook his head. "That trashy prince has been babying you. Time to step into the real mafia world. You talked a good game to the shitty baby boss, now mean it, or get back in the kitchen." He walked away without giving her a chance to reply.

She hadn't meant to be an assassin, but… she looked at the dagger that was in her hand. Another unconscious gesture, even here at the Mansion. Of course, Bel did have a habit of springing up behind her, quite intent on killing her if she was too slow. She'd learned quickly that Varia quality meant always fighting for your life. It was never a simple spar like the Guardians did. And she found that she enjoyed it.

Assassin?

Assassin…

Assassin. She straightened herself up, put her dagger back in its sheath at her thigh, and headed back down the hall.


	6. Kyoya

It was one of the worst-kept secrets amongst the Vongola Guardians that Hibari Kyoya had an obsession with small, helpless creatures. No one knew if this obsession started when he was trapped in Kokuyo Land and Hibird had kept him company, or if the bird had been drawn to the Skylark because of his love for small animals. But everyone knew that if anything harmed the little ball of yellow fluff, it would get bitten to death quicker than any crowd would.

This thought flittered through Ryohei's mind as he was interrupted from his normal laps around the Vongola Mansion. The steady sound of his footsteps, the pounding of his heart, and the huskier than normal breathing had him almost miss the small sound to his right, in a patch of trees that fenced the estate. A soft 'cheep, cheep', then a screech, a cat's yowl, and the sound that made the Sun Guardian's blood run cold – 'Hibari, Hibari'. He knew that little voice, and it was weird that it sounded so panicked. He ran over as a flash of red and orange leapt past him, heading for the voice as well.

When Ryohei got to the tiny break in the foliage, he thought his heart would break. There was Uri, standing over a rather bloody Hibird, hissing angrily at a stray cat that'd had his face laid open by claws and what looked like numerous pecks from a small beak. The clearing was full of feathers and fur, and the little ball of fluff wasn't moving anymore.

"Kyoya's going to EXTREMELY kill someone…" The white-haired boxer dropped down next to the group of animals, summoning his sun flames as he gently picked the small bird up. It cheeped softly, forcing a relieved grin to cross Ryohei's face. "Thank the gods…"

The fervent prayer was muttered as the boxer brought the bird close to his chest, cuddling it while his flames started their work. "Uri, extremely chase him off." He turned a glare at the offending tom, his voice quiet for once to not startle his tiny patient. He nodded approvingly as Uri did as commanded, leaving one last good gash across the tom's backside as a reminder.

"Hibari, Hibari…" The small fluff ball struggled a bit and Ryohei flopped onto his butt, running a gentle finger across the little bird's head.

"Not yet, little one… you'll be able to see him soon. We're almost done here." The damage that cat had done was considerable. Ryohei wondered absently if Kyoya had rubbed off on the bird, or if it had always been this strong. Maybe that's why the crowd-biting carnivore was so attached…

"Noisy herbivore, what are you doing on the ground?" Kyoya had been making his security sweep around the mansion and had heard the Sun Guardian crashing through the foliage. Normally, he wasn't interested in the boxer's antics, but if he was destroying the peaceful morning with his stupidity, Kyoya would of course have to take action.

"Hibari, Hibari!" The little bird struggled a bit more, then started singing the Namimori anthem. It flopped about in Ryohei's hands, trying to fly. Unfortunately, there was the small matter of its broken wing, and it ended up in a pitiful huddle, whistling, 'Herbivore, herbivore,' over and over again.

Kyoya's eyes narrowed and he stepped forward quickly, seeing red. How DARE that obnoxious herbivore keep Hibird from him. And what the HELL had he done to the little thing to have it so defeated?! The boxer glaring up at him made him pause, especially since he looked pissed; not an emotion Kyoya was used to seeing on his face.

"Really, Kyoya, do you think I'd EXTREMELY hurt Hibird?! Have I ever ONCE put a hand on someone weaker than me?" He turned his attention back to the bird, soothing him again gently. "Shhh, little one… you're not an herbivore. That cat EXTREMELY got the drop on you, huh?" He sighed as the healing almost completed itself. He still had 50 laps to go… he wondered if an extreme nap would be out of the question.

The ex-prefect looked at the two in confusion, then turned a glaring eye on Uri, who'd decided to return. The leopard jumped onto Ryohei's shoulders, looking down at the bird in his hands. Hibird cheeped up at her softly, eyes closed and head leaning into Ryohei's surprisingly gentle finger.

"Don't even think about it, Kyoya… Uri was the one who saved Hibird, and sent the other cat running." The lack of loud yelling, or of his signature 'extreme' made the skylark look down at him. The Sun looked tired… and Kyoya guiltily realized he was tired from healing the little bird, not from causing a ruckus with his training.

"Hn."

"Ya know, just once… you could TRY having some faith in your allies… we're not all out just to make your world more irritating." The boxer opened his hands and Hibird flew out, circling once or twice before settling into Kyoya's hand. The small bird trembled, even now, and the Cloud pulled him close, fondly petting his head.

Ryohei rose to his feet, Uri still clinging to his shoulder. "Uri, get back to the squidhead before he tears the place up looking for you again. Good job." When the leopard had started running back to the mansion, the boxer looked at Kyoya with something akin to disappointment in his eyes. "If you're part of our group, part of our Guardians, even in the smallest way, you're going to HAVE to learn how to extremely get along with us. And part of that is learning that we'll protect what's important to you." He shook his head, and turned to continue his run.

A hand on his arm stopped him. "Hn. Herbivore… thank you." The soft words were almost missed, but the boxer nodded and tossed him a small smile.

"Anytime, Kyoya. We're EXTREME friends, after all." With that, the boxer ran off, throwing his fist in the air. The skylark noted, however, that his steps were slower than normal, and he didn't yell with every 10 steps… a glance at the small bird in his hand had him frowning. How hurt was the little ball of fluff?

* * *

Dinner that evening was a chaotic affair as usual, with everyone yelling, laughing, and eating all at the same time. Kyoya sat at the end of the table, as far from the crowd as he could get, and quietly ate. But tonight, Tsuna had caught him more than once glancing up, looking around at the assembled group, glancing down at his pocket, and then going back to eating.

The young boss was a little concerned; usually Hibird would be hopping about, begging bits of rolls and veggies from anyone at the table. Tonight, however, he was nowhere to be seen. He assumed the little bird was in Kyoya's pocket, as the ex-prefect kept dropping small bits of bread into it. Tsuna kept his mouth shut and watched as Ryohei stood up to put his plate on the buffet and dropped his uneaten roll at Kyoya's elbow, neither one making a sound. In the sudden lull, a soft cheep could be heard, then Hibird poked his head out of the Cloud's pocket. "Extreme, extreme!" He flew out lazily and landed on Ryohei's shoulder. After nibbling on the Sun's ear affectionately, he flew to the table and knocked a small chunk of Kyoya's steak onto the floor, where a waiting Uri pounced on it, purring in appreciation. The prefect gave a small 'hn' and reached over, patting the leopard as Hayato watched in amazement.

Tsuna watched his Cloud a bit more closely in the following weeks, noting that while he still glared and threatened to bite them to death, the actual attacks were much fewer. Instead of getting a tonfa to the side of the head, Ryohei and Hayato would just be shoved rudely aside if they were crowding too close. His signature 'Herbivore' was still present, but it lacked a certain bite when it was directed at the Guardians. And more than once, Tsuna noticed the small fluffball curled up between the Storm's leopard and his own Natsu, especially if the Cloud deemed wherever he was going too dangerous for the little bird.

It took him longer than the others, but Kyoya finally realized that, even if they weren't as strong as he was, there was still a use for this family he'd become a part of. The carnivorous bird would never be happy with large crowds and loud noises… but he was beginning to think that, just maybe, a family wasn't exactly the same as a crowd.


	7. Takeshi

WHOOSH! CRACK! SHOOM! There was a point in time that Yamamoto Takeshi lived for these noises. His entire world was made up of gut feelings, and a burning desire to win. Of course, his goals have changed slightly… instead of just wanting to win at baseball, he's decided that winning this mafia game is the most important thing ever.

That doesn't mean, of course, that the blood and the violence don't get to him. The Kid said he was a natural-born hitman, but… he had to be wrong. Tsuna didn't approve of violence for the sake of it, and only sanctioned kills when it was life or death, and Yamamoto agreed.

Heh, Chrome was watching him again. She'd been coming out every morning, sitting off to the side in the soft grass with a book on her lap and her trident lying next to her. More often than not, there were at least one or two flowers lying around her that she would absently pull apart while she read, or watched him.

He was grateful for her gentle presence. It reminded him why he worked so hard, and grounded him on days like today, when he just wanted to run. The first time she had come out to watch him had been after a particularly violent mission; their first as the vigilante mafia law Primo envisioned. Intelligence had come after Chrome's week-long mission about a drug ring nearby that was targeting the local schools. Timoteo was just going to ignore it, but Tsuna had been adamant. If they were sending I-Pin, Lambo, and Fuuta to school, he was NOT going to have that sort of influence around them.

So the Storm, the Rain, and the small female Mist had been assigned to deal with them. What they hadn't been expecting was the large amount of weaponry this 'small' group had at their disposal. The Guardians were good, hell, after everything they'd been through, the two-bit family hadn't stood much of a chance. But Chrome had taken a bullet in the leg, and would have taken another one in the head if Yamamoto hadn't dived forward, his katana fully impaling the shooter. The slippery 'schlikt' of the metal into his torso, the brief 'thunk' as it hit bone… a sharp 'crack' as it slammed through, and the soft 'glrgluckt' from the throat as the gun fell from boneless fingers… everything seemed to slow down, every noise seemed to be punctuated. Chrome's gasps of pain and Gokudera's swearing as he bound her wound were like a warped soundtrack to his first kill.

He stared down at him for a few beats before Hayato's voice, louder than before, broke him out of his morbid reverie. "Oy, idiot, we gotta get out of here. I called the Cleaners, they'll be here soon. Carry Chrome."

"Yosh!" He put on his game face and scooped the small Mist up. Somehow, the Storm got them out of there and home, and Ryohei had been able to patch the girl's leg up with little effort. She was up and about, much to Tsuna and Mukuro's displeasure, by dinnertime.

The swordsman didn't really remember much about the rest of that night. He gave his report to Tsuna, ate dinner with the Guardians, went to his room. Threw up dinner. Went to bed. Didn't sleep. Got up almost at dawn the next morning.

After wandering about aimlessly for a bit, he headed to the small park nearby. They had a lovely baseball field there, and Tsuna had donated new gear and a pitching machine to the local team, with the stipulation that his Rain be able to use it whenever they weren't practicing. He had enjoyed this little perk quite a bit… but that morning wasn't about enjoying.

He swung the bat, again and again and again, controlling his runaway thoughts with heavy concentration. So deep was he in his practice that he didn't notice the girl until she was standing next to the machine, turning it off. "Rain-man…"

He blinked, tilting his head at her in confusion. He tried a smile… found it; put it on with some effort. "Takeshi, Chrome. You bleed all over a guy; you should really call him by his first name."

She shook her head, walked over to him and took the bat away. He winced slightly in pain, staring down at his hands and arms in confusion. The muscles in his forearms stood out, tight and hard with the effort he'd been putting into swinging. His hands, that he was normally so careful of, were destroyed at the moment; covered in bloody cuts and angry blisters. He hadn't even noticed…

Chrome just watched him as he stared, blinking at the blood that dripped slowly into the dirt beneath him. The smile wavered, cracked, and fell completely as the swordsman dropped to his knees, tears mixing in with the blood and dirt. She knelt down next to him, wincing at the pull in her still-sore leg, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. With an almost inaudible sob, he leaned into her shoulder, shaking them both with his silent grief.

After a while, his sobs slowed and he rested his head on her shoulder, sighing softly. She had been completely silent the whole time, just holding him tight. It felt like she was trying to keep him from flying apart, and he was deeply grateful.

"Th-thank you, Chrome… I'm sorry for this." He gave an embarrassed, shaky laugh, but didn't lift his head.

She shook her head sharply before resting it on his. "No, R-Takeshi. I should… I should be thanking you." Her voice was quiet, but as firm as he'd ever heard it. He was rather proud of her at that point, and glad he'd had a hand in helping her open up. "You s-saved me. If you hadn't been there… well…" She lifted her free shoulder in a shrug.

He didn't really want to think about that. All he'd been seeing was his sword in the gunman… but now the image that sparked his ordeal was in his head, and he winced. Chrome, bleeding as she bent over her leg, staring up at the gun that was less than three feet from her, pointed directly at her forehead. There was no time to think… no time to turn the blade, no time to plan.

He gingerly wrapped his arms around her waist, turning his head slightly to bury it against her neck. "I never wanted to believe the Kid, ya know? Natural-born hitman? Me? Nah, I just wanted to play baseball… be Tsuna's friend. And then, I wanted to keep everyone safe. With everything going on, I just dismissed what he said. But yesterday…" He shuddered, his voice muffled. "I guess he was right."

He was crying again, and Chrome kissed his forehead, rubbing his back. "You protected me. You protected Hayato. That's what you do, all the time. S-sometimes, it's protecting us from our sadness, or anger. Sometimes, it's protecting us from someone else." She smiled down at him, picking his head up and forcing him to look at her. "The Rain isn't always soothing. Sometimes it's a deluge that drowns the evil of the world and leaves it clean again. It's ok to be a deluge once in a while. Just remember that more often than not, the Rain is gentle and soothing."

After he had calmed down, she bandaged his hands and took him home. He had caught Hayato watching him at dinner that night, eyeing his hands in confusion. Tsuna had suggested they all go to their common room, and he was pretty positive it was an attempt to keep an eye on the Rain Guardian. They all knew about his attempt in high school. Old worries die hard, but a look at Chrome and he knew… it would take a bit, but everything would be fine.


	8. Tsuna

Tsuna had finally gotten Hayato to leave, ignoring his worried glances. A plate of food sat next to him, forgotten as soon as the silver-haired Storm had walked out. He couldn't help but smile to himself.

"What're you smirking at, Dame-Tsuna?" The cold voice of his ex-tutor and closest advisor pulled him from his reverie.

"Just thinking. Everything's different now, ya know?" He glanced over at the taller man, who had sat down next to him and put the food in his lap. "I mean, we knew some things would have to change, but… everything's different."

"Eat, idiot. What're you talking about now?"

"Hayato was just here. It's hard to believe that a couple of years ago, I was afraid of him." The brunette chuckled as he absently set the plate aside again. "Now I can't get by without him. He's been… calmer, here. And I caught him the other day, draping a blanket over Lambo and Onii-san when they were passed out on the couch. He was always a mother hen with me, so it's nice to see him taking care of everyone else too."

Reborn just shook his head slightly, not even catching the young Don's attention as he stared off into space again. "Lambo's been happier too… he even brought his homework to Hayato for help." Tsuna rolled his neck, stretching sore muscles stiff from sitting so long. "And did you see Vericoni after Kyoko and Haru were done with him? That was honestly the only time I've ever been glad of Shamal's rule about treating men."

The ex-Arcobaleno blinked, hiding his surprise with a lowered fedora at the almost malicious chuckle from his normally kind pupil. Kyoko had left twin scars in the visiting Don and Haru had threatened to remove the family jewels with a small caliber pistol pressed tightly into the man's crotch after they caught him shoving Hana up against the wall. Reborn thought he'd deserved a lot more, but women always held a special place in the hitman's heart. Hearing his opinion mimicked in the tone Tsuna used was more than a bit surprising, but he found he rather liked it. His only fear for his Dame student was that he'd be too soft to protect his family in non-life threatening situations.

"Really, Reborn, you should try to have a LITTLE more faith in me." Tsuna's voice was chiding as he shook his head. "I'm not 14 anymore, after all." The look of surprise on Reborn's face was worth every single time the Vongola boss had been blown up, kicked awake, or knocked down the stairs. Tsuna carried a mental image of every time he'd ever actually surprised his tutor, and this was a REALLY good one.

With a slight wave of his hand, he continued as if nothing had happened, allowing the older man to collect himself. "Kyouya's been a lot calmer recently too… not just his normal icy self, but he's been sticking around after dinner, and sitting in the common room with us in the evenings. It's a nice change to know that looking at him funny won't end up with a tonfa in my head." The soft chuckle was cut off before it started as the young Don stared at his hands, turning into a growl of frustration. "Chrome has been so… lively recently. It's really nice to see her come into my office with that smile on her face. It always feels warmer when she's there now, instead of this meek shell she used to be."

Reborn sighed softly and shook his head. "You know what the Ninth said."

"Yeah, and he's wrong. They all are." Tsuna's head whipped up to stare at his tutor with barely-disguised fury and a slight quivering of his lip. "They're all wrong, Reborn. Why am I the only one who can see this? Why do I have to choose, hm? Haven't they both been standing with me? Hasn't Mukuro proven himself, over and over again? Wouldn't Kyoko and Haru be heartbroken if we lost either of our Mists?"

A sudden tug on his hand startled him into silence as he looked down. Long, thin fingers shifted, twisted, and then gripped his hand tightly, like a drowning swimmer trying to pull themselves above water. The soft 'Fu…' made the Vongola Don smile gently before heterochromatic eyes blinked themselves open. "Ts-tsunayoshi-kun?"

Tsuna breathed a soft sigh of relief. "Mukuro… it's about time you woke up." He smiled down at his Mist, brushing his hair back from his forehead gently. His fury was forgotten for the moment, but his large eyes were still thick with the tears he wasn't allowed to shed.

The illusionist blinked a bit, getting his bearings before looking directly at his boss. "Ku… fu fu… fu… crying for me… Tsunayoshi-kun?" His voice was hoarse from misuse and shook slightly, but it had never sounded sweeter to the young boss.

"Heh… just got something in my eye, that's all." He continued to stroke the Mist's hair gently, making sure he was actually staying awake this time. "You should have called for help, Mukuro… your pride is going to be the death of you one day."

"Oya, already scolded? There was no time, little Vongola. If we had taken… even a moment… Sawada-san would have come out and been harmed. How is my darling Chrome?" He tried to sit up, but Tsuna's hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"She's all right. She's still weak, but Kyoya and Ryohei were able to help her. She's been up and around for about two weeks now." He winced slightly at the sudden tension in the older man.

"Two weeks? How… how long have I been gone, Tsunayoshi?"

"About five and a half weeks." He soothed Mukuro with a gentle hand on the side of his face. "I never did get the chance to thank you." He stood, surprised at how his legs shook… how long HAD he been sitting there… and kissed his Mist's forehead softly. "Please don't worry me like that again."

"Allow me to possess your body, if you're feeling so gracious." He smirked, lifting a hand to run it through his Sky's auburn hair.

"You never change…" Tsuna laughed brightly, the sound carrying through the tenth generation's quarters. Only one thing could cause that sound after so many weeks of silence….

Five minutes later, Mukuro's bed was surrounded by the Guardians, Chrome having launched herself across the room to land on her mentor and best friend.

Reborn sat back and watched silently as the Mist was brought back into the family with their typical boisterousness. Hayato had launched into a tirade about the Mist's injuries worrying his precious boss, which Takeshi had quickly interrupted with an arm slung around the Storm's shoulders. Chrome was trying her best to smile and cry at the same time, Kyoya told the 'stupid pineapple herbivore' to stop lazing about, and Ryohei wished him an EXTREMELY QUICK recovery. Lambo laughed with Tsuna and gave Mukuro one of his prized grape lollipops, which the illusionist accepted with a soft chuckle.

The door opened a second time and suddenly, the infirmary had turned into a party as Kyoko, Haru, and Hana came rushing in. They all swooped in on their injured friend for a hug and a kiss each, then ran out the door. The Guardians were left speechless for only a few minutes before a large cart full of food was wheeled in.

As everyone cheered and started divvying up the small feast, the ex-Arcobaleno made his way out. There were arrangements to be made if Tsuna was going to have his way at his debut ball. And Reborn couldn't wait to see the looks on everyone's faces when he did.

* * *

AN: This is it, folks. I didn't really want to focus too much on Tsuna in this, for two reasons. 1: He's the main character of the anime, and we get to see all of his changes. 2: He got his spotlight in Not Your Whipping Boy. So, there you have it. Love it, hate it, either way, please review. I'm probably not going to do much more with this particular group, but that might change depending on reception and requests. lol ^.^ Thank you so much for reading!


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